new dharma for urban peace

visited oakland/emeryville this weekend to check out and praktis with the iSANGHAmahal at new dharma center. i was warmly invited by the sangha and it was a wonderful visit - with hopes to return again for a short retreat this summer. may the conditions arise to see angel, marie and others at the center. we goin' for it. praktisin', leanin' into...cultivatin' bodhisattva awareness in the midst of confusion and decay. we lean into the impossibility, because maybe a passing moment may be realized, that the joy of livin' lies in this very act. to create space for possibility, for growth and transformation in the midst of impossibility. to surprise ourselves...even for just a passing moment...thank you for opening the space and allowing me to visit, and take in the energy. peace to the new dharma center and its future.

Retreat for College Students & Teachers 2006 (April 21-23, 2006)

Retreat for College Students and Educators (April 21-23, 2006)
Questions? Visit http://deerparkmonastery.org/registration/college.htm

Bi-annual Retreat for College Students & Teachers 2006
Dorm $ 40.00
RV $ 30.00
Tent $ 25.00

"Becoming a Real Human Being"
in April 21st - 23rd, 2006

At this retreat, we shall explore what it is to be “human” and how meditation and mindfulness can help us discover our true self, our true career, our true livelihood. We shall practice sitting, walking, eating, and being in every moment of our day in mindfulness, so we can experience what is most beautiful, true, and good within us and around us. We shall learn to generate the energy of mindfulness and concentration to help us have focus and clarity in our activities. We shall learn to dwell happily and solidly in the present moment as the foundation for planning our future, and for examining and studying our past. We shall look deeply at our aspirations – “our raison d’être” – as young students and as educators, and at the role of higher education in regards to our search. Please join young students, professors, and friends interested in the educational field as we learn to be together and to be supportive as a family, as a community.

venerable at deer park

the venerable at deer park usually offers
a dharma talk during days of mindfulness
this morning, he was there to greet us
and shower us with the rain of dharma
stories and insights teachings
and writings - laughter and depth
.
.
.
the venerable phuoc tinh (sp?)
does not speak so much english
he offers dharma talks in vietnamese
which are diligently translated into english
by one of the monastics
we are lucky for this support
even luckier to receive the teachings
from the venerable
he teaches right from the "source"
if you know what i mean
excited and fresh as ever
not wanting to stop
circulating progressively
encouraging us to release
and know
we are the awareness
and the not the feeling
we are the awareness
the energy of mindfulness
we are not happiness or sadness
frustration or this form
this perception, this feeling
we are not
we are the awareness that
exists perpetually observing
ourselves and this life
that is us
the freedom and space and wisdom
of not getting caught in the small mind
breathing and residing in big mind
buddhanature
.
.
.
i won't even try and go into a summary
of today's dharma talk
if you have an opportunity to visit
deer park monastery in escondido, california
please make sure to spend a few hours listening
to the venerable offer his dharma of joy and liberation
it is a gift indeed
.
.
.
and lastly
today's celebration included
the closing of the three month winter retreat
period for monastics and laypeople
it was very inspiring to see the lay praktisyoners
there who have been there for the entire three month
period praktising and understanding themselves better
in order to live in the world with greater peace and happiness
to offer this to their families, friends and communities
to offer their praktis of life to the world
.
.
.
may conditions support
now or in the future
to attain a period of time
for me to praktis deeply
with the environment of a monastery
here in deer park
or somewhere else
wherever it will work
one week
one month
three months
periods of reflection and contemplation
reorientation to right livelihood
right thinking
living within the beautiful dharma
these are the conditions for my happiness
.
.
.
peace to you in your praktis
the path of transformation
may your praktis be light and free
may your days be energized with awareness
may your breaths be deep and nourishing
.
.
.

peace flipbuddhadharma brother

email from dharma brother, he who shows me to bring courage to praktis in my daily life

Kumasta na pare? good to hear from you. happy to
hear you're well. tomorrow i drive to frisco, from
stockton, to visit my tita. the next day i get on a
plane and head towards ubon ratchathani, thailand. if
all goes well i'll spend the next 6yrs in thailand, in
a theravada robe, learning what's real from what's
not. i just might have found my calling. the
monastery is heavely influenced by the late Ajahn
Chah. if you get a chance, try to read some of his
writing.
.
.
.
i'm trying to firm up my resolve to do better at
writing people, since i'll be off the net, and away
from the phone at this next monastery. maybe you can
grade me; help me get the words in line. i have
you're mothers address, so you should get a post card
from me there. i have to thank you for all the
support and encouragement that you've fueled me with
since the beginning. i hope to prove worthy of all
that.
before i forget please tell may and the whole isang
mahal barangay that i appreciate what y'all do. to
see others, who i can I.D. with, on this path, is
weight.
May we all be well, happy, and peaceful. May no
harm come to us. May no problems come to us. May no
difficulties come to us. May we always meet with
success. May me also have patience, courage,
understanding and determination, to meet with and
overcome inevitable difficulties problems and failures
in life.
yo let's just go at it 110 percent, so when it's
said and done there's no regrets, huh?

Sincerely with Metta
The Novice Formerly Known as Br Speech
One

dp

deeply looking
i see the
dangerous praktis
related to posting
about dharma praktis

:-)

smrti - samadhi - prajna

the plum village seal contains these three words: smrti, samadhi, prajna. on visits to deer park, i sometimes gaze and space out into the walls and ceilings of the great ocean of peace meditation hall. i still remember before this great hall was built, it was a dry mountain open field there...
.
.
.
in spacing out and looking at the stained glass seal, i wonder about the origins and the deeper meanings behind these words. why thay? why sangha? these three words? why?
.
.
.
as i've reflected on their meaning, i've come to some understanding (temporarily) of their meanings for me right now in terms of my praktis...
smrti = mindfulness
mindfulness of breathing
of awareness
of space
of creating space within ourselves
for ourselves
for our lives
for the tensions
as well as the happiness
and abundance of our lives
gratitude praktis
mindfulness to remain
to hold
breathing
living
continuing
mindfully
in the energy of mindfulness
for each moment
that presents itself
mindfulness
.
.
.
samadhi = concentration
in mindfulness, we develop
focus and concentration
centered being living breathing
samadhi
the ability to maintain
the energy of mindfulness
the ability to remain light and free
spacious and clear
the conditions for our happiness
samadhi
stronger roots and capacities
to live in mindfulness
we can hold more now
to stay instead of leave
commitment and concentration
the possibility manifest
to stay on the path
becoming the path
embodying the energy of the path
smrti - samadhi - prajna
prajna
.
.
.
prajna = insight
the fruits of praktis
develop as an offering of
liberation insight
clear mind
right thinking
mindful living
deep looking
throughout the twists and turns
of what life offers
prajna
the mind of love and understanding
diamantine mind
shines
brightly
to continue
moving
in the direction
of freedom happiness
compassion love and understanding
.
.
.
these are the conditions for my praktis
and the source of my happiness

dharma teacher sister

sister auspicious cultivation of the heart, one of my dharma bodhi-buddy teachers and friends along this endless joyful path of mindfulness concentration insight :-) WRITES...

as for composting, i think it has a lot to do with our agency and power to create our lives. we are not passive. we are not victims. we have the power to make and re-make, create and re-create. composting is about flipping the script. about not always being in conditions of our making but surviving them by healing through difficult moments. we heal through those moments in innumerable ways - by being present, by breathing, by not holding on to poison but letting it go or turning it into medicine, by recognizing our suffering as a grounds for coalition building and heartgrowing, by seeing how events throw into motion a whole sequence of other events that are full of unintended and unexpected consequences that are often more powerful than anyone would have imagine. for example, as brother "tin man" from the denver day of mindfulness shared in our dharma discussion, if it wasn't for the vietnam war, thay would never have spread his dharma the way that he did, we would not be practicing in this way, and western buddhism would have a much different shape. unexpected and unintended consequences. in other words, poetry.

dharma names

gift of poetry and dharma names by auspicious(*)heart
.
.
.
you are
soul tectonic
calm ocean heart
dharma support
meditative container
incubator timer
recognition detection
measurement of quality
litmus of ripeness
spatial astuteness
discernment of possibility
discernment of possibility
d.o.p.(e)
d.p.
deep practices of deep looking
deep appreciation of the unspoken
you are
.
.
.

San Diego POC Meditation Group - in the works

warm ideas being exchanged and explored in efforts to create a "monthly" gathering for peoplez of color here in san diego to dharma meditate, breathe, and share with one another with the support of the monastic and lay sangha of deer park monastery. i hope conditions arise for this to manifest and may people from all directions take on this opportunity to sit, walk B, tea & breathe together. happinesssssss....

(((soul)))tectonics

soultectonics
soul cellular level inquiry
praktis being
remembering memory
ground as breath
earth as teacher
sustenance
abundance
signlessness
resistance
inside myself
returning to myself
i know of an ancient
soul that resides within
wisdom compassion
shining being
happy and hybrid
hip hop and holistic
the seeds have been planted
from generations past
2012 living prophecy
the final cause has been cast
soultectonics
embraces the movement
beneath our feet
inside this breath
within our hearts
yes
yes
yes